Iran-US war latest: Trump insists Tehran wants to make a deal as US blockade in Strait of Hormuz beginsnewsline24

Trump has refused to apologise for sharply criticising Pope Leo, saying that the pontiff “went public” in his criticisms of the war in Iran, and “I’m just responding.”

In comments to reporters outside the Oval Office, Trump added, “There’s nothing to apologise for” and said of Leo, “He’s wrong.”

Trump was also asked about posting an image of himself as a saint-like healer, which seemed to draw comparisons between himself and Jesus Christ.

The image was posted Sunday night and drew widespread condemnation from Evangelical Christian leaders and has since been taken down.

Trump said, “I did post it.” But he suggested it had something to do with the Red Cross and insisted: “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better.”

The US president ⁠said in a press conference that Iran had “called this morning” and that “they’d like to work a deal.”

“Iran will ‌not have a ​nuclear weapon,” ‌Trump told ⁠reporters at the White House. “We ⁠can’t let a country ‌blackmail ​or extort the ‌world.”

The US has begun a blockade of all ships entering and exiting Iranian ports and Trump warned Iranian naval ships approaching it will be “eliminated”.

Trump repeated his argument that safeguarding the strait is of greater concern to other parts of the globe than the United States.

The effective closure of the strait since the start of the war, however, impacts global oil prices — which has led to surging prices for motorists and rising inflation on other goods.

“We don’t use this strait,” Trump said. “We have our own oil and gas, much more than we need.”

Earlier on Monday, he posted on Truth Social: “Warning: If any of these ships (from Iran’s navy) come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they ‌will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

Meanwhile, the UK and France are leading political and military planning to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but no mission will begin until hostilities between the US and Iran end, Sir Keir Starmer said.

The prime minister was speaking after Donald Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports came into effect, with the US president threatening to sink Tehran’s fast attack vessels if they come near American warships.

Sir Keir refused to back Mr Trump’s blockade and called for unfettered access to the strait, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies from the Gulf.

In his Commons statement, Sir Keir:

– Said Mr Trump was “wrong” to threaten to wipe out Iran’s civilisation.

– Acknowledged the “significant” economic consequences of the Iran war “will last longer than the conflict itself”.

– Demanded an end to Israeli bombing of Lebanon, saying the attacks were having “devastating humanitarian consequences”.

The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, said ⁠on Monday he hopes another oil stockpile release is not needed but “we stand ready to act” if the energy shock resulting from the war with Iran ⁠requires it.

The 32-member ​IEA agreed ⁠last month to release 400 million barrels of oil from reserves, the largest ⁠coordinated release ever, in a bid to ​calm ⁠oil markets.

The US, ‌the world’s largest oil and gas producer, agreed to release 172 million barrels from its Strategic ‌Petroleum Reserve.

“I hope, very much ‌hope, we don’t need to do it but if it is needed we are ready to act,” ⁠Birol said. Birol reiterated at an Atlantic Council event that the war has resulted in the worst global energy disruption ever and said that more than 80 oil and gas facilities including production, terminals and refineries across the Middle East ‌have been damaged by war with Iran.

Benchmark oil prices are trading near $100 ‌a barrel. Due to ⁠the vast extent of the production shut-ins ⁠and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ‌releases are “not a ​solution,” Birol said, “it’s just ‌reducing the pain.”

Trump’s threats to the Strait of Hormuz will make America a pirate nation and risk conflict with China, making Beijing seem like the grown-ups, explains world affairs editor Sam Kiley.

Donald Trump ⁠that ​the ⁠US ‌may “stop by” ‌Cuba after ‌its current ⁠focus on tensions with ‌Iran ​concludes.

Donald Trump said ⁠on Monday that ⁠Pope ​Leo ⁠XIV was ⁠wrong ​on issues ⁠of ‌law and order, continuing his criticism with the pontiff over crime, policing and views on US war ‌with ​Iran.

He earlier branded Pope Leo XIV as “weak” on crime and “terrible” on foreign policy, in a late-night Truth Social blitz which also saw him uploading an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Jesus, which has now been deleted.